Hope
by Numellote
Summary: Mariona and her friends have to get to Valinor in order to save the world. A world with only youngsters, cause the elder people are dead, killed by a virus. ( The Tribe/ LotR inspired)
1. Dreams

Darkness, strange actually how darkness always seems to be a bad thing. Nobody ever thought about it that when there is no darkness, there is no difference between light and dark. You will never be able to see the stars or the moon, never be able to sneak out unnoticed when necessary.  
  
I always loved the dark. Just for the plain reason that everything looks different then. So surreal. When the night falls another world seems to open. A world long forgotten by humanity.  
  
Who would have ever thought I was so close to truth.  
  
From my window, you can see Orion, the swordsman of the sky. Or as the ancient Egyptians called him, Osiris, the god of resurrection. I always wondered why those stars formed that figure so perfectly. Most of the time the stars are scatter all over. But this figure is so clear. Maybe it is just coincidence. And yet..  
  
~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~  
  
Chapter One  
  
Dreams  
  
Finally, after waiting for more than five years she would finally go. Finally, she would go to Rome! The trip was organised by a teacher at school and many of her friends would come too. He would also come. Would he still be mad at her? At six in morning she did not want to think about it, but what if he was mad, still after more than a half-year. She got up, turned on the music and awoke with that action her parents and her little brother. They did not care, there had to be things done before she left, which would be three hours later.  
  
'Mariona, wouldn't you need this plaid for the night?' asked her mother five minutes before getting in the car to pick up her best friend, Miranda and a classmate of Miranda. Looking at the small plaid her mother was holding she said ' I have some space left here. You never know if it could be cold in the bus.'  
  
The horn of a car sound. The parents of her friend stopped the car in front their house. Miranda was running to the door and giggling like an idiot. 'No difference there.' Said Mariona's little brother Ewout, who was standing next to his father. His sister had been acting like that all morning. The two girls laughed and hopped around nervously, acting like two little children on Christmas morning.  
  
In the car they talked about the things they had packed for the trip and after picking up Catharine, Miranda's classmate, the car drove to Kampen, the bus.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
'Here' and she threw down on of her bags. 'Miranda!' Her friend checked the seats ' Is this the best spot?' she asked.  
  
'Of course it is. Who is travelling in these stupid things to school every morning?' Mariona asked rhetorical. Above their heads was space to store some stuff and so the jackets went there and the plaid.  
  
'We are in the best seats of the bus' declared Miranda to Anton, one of Mariona's classmates and one of her former and went on talking to Matthea and Joanna, who sate in front Mariona and her as Anton was sitting behind her.  
  
He laughed and said to Ditmar, the guy next to him ' Do not be look surprised if those two suddenly start laughing. When they are together under one roof, it's never quiet around them.'  
  
*A true thing he said indeed. They had been friends since they were 12 and now they were almost 17. They had shared good and bad times, went to school together both the same level when they had to go to secondary school until Miranda dropped a level and Mariona had to go to Kampen, because only there her level continued. But they kept their friendship as something that was more than precious. Sometimes it was even said they were more like sisters. *  
  
'Alex, were am I suppose sit now?!' yelled Miranda while Alex had taken her seat next to Mariona, who was talking to Ditmar behind, sitting backwards, ignoring Alex.  
  
'Here on my lap' he said with a tomboy's smile. Mariona turned around and Miranda sat down on Alex lap. 'So, and how is it going with Mariona' he asked with a sarcastic tone only to be heard by her because Miranda was too busy getting the Pringles out off her backpack.  
  
'Fine' she said short. He did not need to know that she felt bad because of him acting like that. She looked out side to the cars passing by.  
  
'Here, take some' Miranda was holding the Pringles tube and Mariona graphed three out off the can. ' And how are things with you then?' she asked polity.  
  
Miranda laughed when Alex made a funny face. He ignored her.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
The day passed and it grew dark. The bus now drove trough Germany, near the border with France to pass there to Switzerland and from there on to Italy. Miranda and Mariona were talking about all and nothing when Alex came.  
  
'Can I talk to Mariona for a sec, Mir?  
  
'As long as you don't kill her, it's ok I think. I need her for translating my love letters!' Mariona gave Miranda a shove and Miranda felt theatrically off her seat. Pretending to be hurt, she went to sit next to Ditmar as Anton was off somewhere else.  
  
Alex sat next to her. They were both silent. 'I don't think we have changed much.' He started.  
  
'I agree, but I think we have changed only we don't know it of each other because we both changed the same way.' She replied. Again, silence. Both were thinking about the past six months. Why he had been mad, she had been hurt, both longing to talk to one other, but both too proud to give in. They were not lovers, but they were not friends or brother / sister like either. However, the last description was most suitable.  
  
After a long silence they were at the same point of putting it all behind and without saying a word, they knew what the other had been thinking. ' So the final was great, wasn't it?' she started.  
  
'Yeah, too bad we haven't seen it together.' Crazy for football, the passion that had bind they together. Being supporter for Feyenoord in an area were everybody supported the archenemy, Ajax, was the basis of their friendship. Although it had been the cause, sort of, of their fight, it was also the glue now healed it back together.  
  
'I was on vacation, but I have it on tape. So if you would like to seen again, we could.'  
  
'I would like that.' And so with saying anything about the fight the fuzz over what it all had been about was talked over and put behind in the past.  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
The days went by and it seemed that God had said to the Sun that because she shone so hard she had go-fast up and down. It all went too fast. The night was as long as the day and there was no line to separated them. And no one liked going home.  
  
'Is it ok with Miranda that I'll keep you company the first part of the trip back home?' Alex asked.  
  
'Yeah she's fine with it.' replied Mariona.  
  
'Ok, then I see you in a minute, keep the seat warm'  
  
Five days Rome had brought them together again. Although her friends weren't his and vice versa, they had spent some time together laughing, him teasing her, she telling him historic things etc. etc. To point out the event were they were as in the old times, the regulate couple ( A/N: In Dutch regelneefjes) was the night the whole group had gone to the Spanish Stairs and some got drunk and were not back in the hotel. When everybody except one of his friends and one of hers, they both wanted to go out and look for them. Luckily, these two friends just arrived when they were about to go and find them and they did not need to get out of find them.  
  
Talking about those stairs, she had met some guys for Rotterdam there. From the handsomest, she had the address. Jasper was his name and two beautiful blue eyes his game. He was so cute! She hoped to hear from him sometime, she did not have much confidence in it but still she hoped it.  
  
~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~  
  
Miranda had taken planted her bud on the ground under the TV and watched Harry Potter. Suddenly she was aware of the silence behind her. What is going on my bed for the night, she thought and looked behind her. Mariona was pressed against the window and Alex covered the rest of her body with his. They were kissing!  
  
*Early that night*  
  
Mariona lay back, leaning with the back of her head against the window, Alex's head lying on her chest, her plaid covering the both of them. While many in the bus were cold, they had each other's body heat and the plaid so they were warm for the night.  
  
Harry Potter, she thought, damn how much did she hate those books! Those books were nothing more than a weak infusion of Grieslestate, written by Anthony Horowitz. But because she couldn't do anything else but watching the television in front of her or look out the window and stare into the black ink darkness or look down to Alex who was laying quite comfortable on her chest watching the movie, she had but no choice to follow his example and watch too. Slowly Alex moved his head, Mariona looked down to see what was the matter only to be scared the hell out of her as his lips touched hers.  
  
What is this! was her first reaction. Calm down girl, it is just a goodnight kiss was the next thing she thought and so she kissed back. Alex turned his head again and lay back against her chest. After some minutes, she felt his hand searching for hers, finding it and holding it gently, rubbing it with his fingers.  
  
Tired as she was, she lowered herself further into the chairs. By doing this, Alex had to move too, but he did not only lower himself but also turned his head again and this time also his body and kissed her again. More demanding, stroking her hand with on hand as the other caressed her hair.  
  
' This cannot be happening, said the little voice in her head. And surprising herself, she kissed back. Feeling his lips on hers made feel like nothing before. ' This is not real, he cannot like me, he is using me! the voice screamed this time. But before the voice could control her actions, his tongue was tracing her lips, his hands on caressing her hair and her neck. She lost reason and could only feel. Only feel his lips, his hands, his breath and his tongue. Every action he performed, made her losing contact with reason and by the third kiss she answered back, losing contact with her reasonable mind and could only think of all those years she thought this could only happen in fairytales.  
  
The whole week had been a fairytale, a dream of five years old. This was the end of the dream, the highest point of the dream. Two dreams becoming one, seeing the eternal city of Rome after five years of longing and to kiss the boy she silently loved for those same five years, thinking he would never love her.  
  
* End flashback*  
  
That night the stars sparkled brightly. In the dark, all seemed so clear, but the sun threaded them and the morning came. The night was over and so were the dreams of Rome and the love of him, it was now only but a memory.  
I hoped you liked it. This is just a little background information on the main character; I think you need to know this. I say ' I think' because right now I do not know where the story will end up. Sorry for any spelling mistakes or grammatical, my mother tongue is not English, but Dutch. 


	2. England

Chapter two  
  
The manuscript  
  
Memories of old, I would call them now. Although they are no older than two years. But back then peace was still a thing to touch. Now it is just like those dreams from two years ago. Things had should no have happened, happened. Peace does no longer exist. War is the reality. Night after night, day after day we have to fight. We fight creatures that are not supposed to exist at all. Our people have set hope on us. We do not know if we will find something. We hope so, but still. All depends on how reliable the manuscript is. If this fails, everyone is lost. But if it is true than they have to leave. Leaving this world, going to the other and hoping they will help. If only it was true.  
  
It must be.  
  
~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~  
  
'They are coming!' yelled one of guards. The others graphed their weapons. The creatures approached raptly. One minute later the sound of gunfire from their side was heard, killing as much of the creatures as there were bullets.  
  
They hold them for now, but she knew they could not hold them off forever. Luckily the little ones were already to England, the only save place near the Netherlands. The creatures were not able to cross the water or to come near it. That was their luck, but one day the creatures would find a way to cross and even England would not be save then. They would trapped on the island. No way to turn to except open sea. Or perhaps, she thought hopefully but as soon as the thing passed her mind, she threw away as fantasy.  
  
'Mariona, the ship is ready!' yelled Jasper. There we go, she thought. ' All right,' she screamed back and turned to the defence wall, ' everyone, to the ship!' Weapons were thrown away and every one on the walls ran for their lives to the last ship that was waiting for them.  
  
Mariona started running when the gate broke. She looked back to see if there was anyone left and saw Him, standing in the opening of the gate. The bastard himself had come. She ran harder, while arrows flied over her head.  
  
Miranda, who was in front of Mariona got hit and fell. ' Mariona, go!' she spoke softly, bleeding heavily. Mariona ignored her, lifted her up and ran to ship, which started to set off, on her heals followed by Him and his creatures.  
  
'Jasper, where is Mariona? ' yelled Alex from the bridge and the same time seeing her running on the docks with Miranda in her arms. 'Jasper look!' Both men ran to the railing on the back of the ship.  
  
' We must stop the boot, we can't leave without them!' Alex said with fear in his voice, for he knew that was impossible.  
  
Jasper looked at the distance between the dock and the ship, now three meter, which Mariona could jump, but not with Miranda in her arms. Then he saw the rope, graphed it and made a loop in it. Alex immediately understood his plan and together they threw the heavy weighted rope to the two women.  
  
Mariona looked to the ship and realised she would not be able to make the jump. She looked back again. They would not have Miranda or me and prepared herself to jump in the freezing water of the Maas. Then suddenly she saw a rope flying from the ship. Looking to who was on the other end, she smiled inwardly. Idiots, she thought but was grateful. She graphed the loop, holding Miranda tightly.  
  
Alex and Jasper pulled with all their strength. Though the two women were not what you call heavy, the fact that they had hit the water before they hang in the air along the side of the ship, made their burden a lot more difficult.  
  
A hand appeared on the deck of the ship, followed by an arm both covered in blood. Alex ran forward as Jasper hold on to the rope. Alex took Miranda's body out of Mariona's arms and pulled Mariona further on deck.  
  
Mariona coughed and whispered to Alex 'She is wounded.'  
  
'Kin'd figured, seeing the blood and the arrow.' Alex said sarcastically and walked away bringing Miranda to Rosanne, who was more or less the healer.  
  
Mariona sat back, looking at Jasper who was catching his breath. They were out of reach of the arrows and on their way to England. With a grand smile she said 'You will have to train harder, Jasper. I would like to do that again, you see.'  
  
Jasper looked at her and laughed and with a deep breath he said ' Next time it is Alex his turn, then I get the girl.' Mariona and he laughed and she shivered. 'Come, we going to get you some dry clothes. We cannot have you sick.'  
  
Jasper supported her and they stumbled to the sick bow ' First we have to see if the manuscript is not a fake. After that, we will have to see.'  
  
'Yeah, yeah just trust Joanna, Ditmar and Dorien. They should know when something like that is real, shouldn't they?'  
  
~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~  
  
The night fell. I knew He knew of the manuscript. He wanted it. It had to be real. Stars glimmered and we approached England. Alex sounded the horn and a light, flickering three times, answered it. Soon I would know if my dreams and fantasy were not fake. If this was really an Númenorean manuscript or even an Elvish one then there would be hope. My head went up to Orion. The last battle, I thought. And I prayed to God that he would help us find the help we so desperately needed. 


	3. The manuscript

Chapter 3 England  
  
So we sailed to London. There we were welcomed by the leaders of the English, French, Belgium, Danish and German people. What happened after that I do not remember. I was probably too tired to stand on my own feet. The next I know was that I awoke in huge bed with a real mattress and a real feather pillow.  
  
When the message had came that manuscript was real and that I had to translate it completely, we were stunned. I still could not belief that there was actually a good chance that the manuscript was real. Perhaps the other stuff I has found was also real. Oh, if just. Then I remembered a line from my French teacher: If if if If Paris fitted in a bottle, it would not be a big city. Yeah, If is a great word.  
  
~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~  
  
A small knock on the door, a voice asking 'Have you awoken yet?' and Mariona's head popped out of the bathroom to see whom it was. A tall blond man stood in the doorway. The pair of eyes that stared at her was as blue as the Mediterranean and he looked a bite surprised, he probably did not expect her to be awake so early.  
  
'Yes, what is there?' she asked with her most innocent voice and a radiant smile. Now she had a better look at him she saw he was no older then she was. Perhaps no more than two years what would make him 21.  
  
'I wondered if there was anything you need. Breakfast perhaps or clean clothing.' The last part of the sentence got lost in a yell of happiness. It came from down the hall on which Mariona's chamber was situated. Mariona and the man ran to the room where the scream had come from. In it, was Rosanne standing in front of big walk inn closet, with all kinds of clothing. Jumping around, completely happy at the sight of so much clothes, Rosanne danced into the closet and looked around like a child in a toyshop, with a cart blanche to shop.  
  
'Happy?' another man came into Mariona's view; she had not noticed him before when she had ran into the room. He looked like her early knight, only younger. Both man grinned and looked at the blond girl who ran from rack to rack and back to see what was there to wear.  
  
Mariona shook her head. Rosanne and clothing, the one thing that was inseparable and a love that would last a lifetime. She grinned too when she saw Rosanne's smile when she picked out a lovely white blouse and handed it to Mariona. ' Here,' she said ' I am going to pick out your clothes for the big meeting.' And ran back into the closet to find some more things.  
  
' Meeting?' Mariona looked questioning to the man standing beside her. He looked familiar to her, but she could not find out why.  
  
'Yes, that was the other thing I came to tell before you got dressed. After breakfast, the leaders are coming together to decide what our next move should be. With you being the leader of the Dutch, I..' he could not finish his sentence again, because Mariona stopped him.  
  
'Me?! The leader of the Dutch? Who told you that?'  
  
'We did.' came from behind her and out of the closet. Mariona turned and saw Jasper and Alex. ' You are the best in talking about it and you have organised everything we have done so far, so we thought or better we assumed that you are our leader.' explained Alex.  
  
Rosanne came out off the closet again, carrying a busload of clothing and dragged a stunned Mariona behind a changing screen on the right side of the room. From behind the screen they heard Mariona voice 'Ok, but let's say I agree with being the leader and stuff, who is going to explain to the rest. I mean, you know me but the rest only knows me by face and appearance. This isn't democratic you know.' In the mean time, she tried to co- operate with Rosanne, who was trying to get Mariona out of her battle clothes. The once white blouse and the jeans with the ivory flowers under it were covered in Miranda's blood. Two days ago, when Mariona had taken a dive in the Maas, Rosanna didn't have anything to give to Mariona to wear, so Jasper and she had rolled her up in plaids to prevent Mariona from freezing to dead.  
  
'We thought you might say that and so we asked around and they all agreed having you as their leader.'  
  
Mariona took a deep and sharp breath; Rosanne had accidentally touched her old wound on her left thigh. 'Sorry' she mumbled trying to hurt Mariona as less as possible. It was the first serious wound anyone of the early group had had. It was poisoned and it was only thanks to God and Mariona's stubborn character that she had not died. 'If you don't belief them, ask William and Harry they went with them yesterday to ask the rest.' Rosanne added and stepped to look at Mariona who was dressed and whose hair was done properly. Wearing a white blouse and a white pair of trousers, her blond hair up in a complicated manner Mariona looked like a little angel without wings.  
  
' Are you two William and Harry?' Mariona had come from behind the changing screen and pointed to the two unnamed man. Alex and Jasper grinned; they had not seen Mariona looking so happily surprised since the virus.  
  
The two nodded and the youngest made a playful bow. ' Sir Harry, here to serve you my Lady of Rotterdam. And this here is my brother, leader of the English and head of the royal household of England, or what is left of it, Sir William of Windsor.'  
  
Rosanne's jaw dropped as she heard she was in the presence of real royalty. William on the other hand gave Harry a dirty look and looked at Mariona to see her reaction. She did not look surprised as a minute before and he then realised she had already known his identity.  
  
'Why, thank you, Sir Harry,' she replied in the same theatrical way as Harry ' but please don't say Lady of Rotterdam for that is only a title. I insist you call me Mariona, for we will have a long way ahead of us of working together in order to defend the enemy we have in common.' Then her eyes locked with those of William's. 'If I recall correctly you also hate titles as much as I do. So I assume it is just William, William?'  
  
William cleared out his throat 'Yes, and may I ask you all to follow me. Breakfast has just been prepared.' Everyone followed him.  
  
Mariona walked next to Alex. 'Where is Miranda?'  
  
'She is taken care off in the hospital wing.' answered Harry walking in front of the two. 'Do not worry,' seeing Mariona expression 'we have some nurses in training there. The best of the best.'  
  
'Where is the hospital wing?'  
  
'You see the hall on your left down there?' He now walked next to her guiding the eyes to the great hall she saw downstairs. 'If you turn left there, you walk strait into the hospital wing. Ask the nurse where your friend lays. She knows.'  
  
They walked off the broad stairs then took a turn to the right and entered a big room with gigantic table. Around the table were more than fifty chairs and all most every seat was taken expect the five on the head end of the table. The people who already sat there looked at the newcomers, stood up, and applauded. William looked over his shoulder to see how Mariona reacted. She did not seen to know it was of her, because she looked the same stoic look as that morning when he had entered her room.  
  
They sat and food was brought in by a group of people wearing the same clothing. Harry, who sat between Rosanne and Mariona, explained that every day one of the groups the country's that stayed here, made breakfast. Today it was Belgium's turn. Big waffles and huge cups of hot chocolate were set in front of them by a dark headed smiling young girl, about 14 years old. Her smile grew as she stood in front of William. Polity he smiled back. The girl walked away and it looked like she floated, walking on pink clouds.  
  
William made quit the impression thought Mariona. She had noticed all the smiles and big eyes that were given to him by many girls on their way to the dinning room. 'So, this meeting,' Mariona started to talk to William, while Harry was having conversation with Rosanne about the waffles 'when does it start and what is it all about?'  
  
William drank his warm chocolate and said ' The manuscript you found. Was it the only thing that was in the box?' ignoring her questions.  
  
Mariona studied his features. Smart guy, she thought. ' That's not of your concern.' She replied cold.  
  
'If it means that those things could save this world and my people it is my concern.' He stated back with a slight undertone of anger.  
  
Mariona kept studying his features. It seems he wore a mask, just as she did. The man in next to her was as challenging to her as he was dangerous. At least she thought him to be. She only knew him for less then an hour. Judging people so quickly was against her nature. But if he wanted to know about the other things in the box, he had to be judged worthy of her thrust and for that she had to get to know him better. 'If it is for your and my people's concern and well being then I will tell you.'  
  
Now it was William turn to study her features. An ice queen, not to be touched by something warm or else she would melt. He doubted if she was ever touched by something like that, until he had seen the expression on her face when Harry told her about her friend. Just like me he thought, only the warmth of friendship and family could touch her and not destroy her. After from her passionate statement for her people, he knew she considered her people as her family. No wonder they had made her leader. 'Alright then,' he said and rose from the table 'the meeting starts within fifteen minutes. This a five minute walk to the library were the others await our presence.'  
  
She rose too and followed him. Walking behind him, she quickly looked in the hospital wing where she heard a familiar laugh. Miranda was sitting in bed, joking with Alex and Jasper. Mariona smiled. She will be ok she thought and followed William.  
  
~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~  
  
The box. Back then William did not know what was in it. Only a few others and I knew. But that were only people I trusted completely. For it wasn't anything what lay in there. Three precious things, so precious I kept them on me always. Even when I was sleeping. Two of them I hid in my secret pocket, which was a band strapped to my left thigh near the wound. Only once, I had had to take it off. It was when the arrow had hit me in thigh. Ever since then, the band was there to keep the wound closed, because if I took off it started bleeding again. The third thing was so plain, everyone could see it, only a few knew it is true identity. Now He was back, it also had its powers back. And by night, all three objects glimmered in the light Orion, as if they already knew what was going to happen to them. 


End file.
